Ranking updated
Compass apps: find north on your phone
Your phone already knows where north is. Compass from Apple on iPhone shows direction, coordinates and elevation. The Best Compass & GPS adds offline use, MGRS coordinates and a flashlight, Compass for iPad and iPhone shows only the direction you face, and Digital Compass on Android shows true and magnetic heading with a map.
How we chose: free compass apps from Apple and from registered developers, with features taken from each app’s store description.
Compass on iPhone
iPhone has Compass from Apple, and if it was removed it is free in the App Store. It shows compass directions, your latitude, longitude and elevation. Tap the screen to lock the current heading, and a red band shows when you drift off course.
The Best Compass & GPS
The Best Compass & GPS by Zipo Apps shows 16 main directions, latitude and longitude, MGRS coordinates and altitude, and works offline. It has an azimuth mode for keeping to a planned direction, a flashlight, weather, air quality and moon phases, a minimal mode and a Qibla direction. A premium version removes ads and adds a 7-day forecast.
A minimal compass
Compass for iPad and iPhone by DOUBLE U shows the direction you are facing and hides everything else. It is free with ads, which can be removed with an in-app purchase.
Digital Compass on Android
Digital Compass by Axiomatic shows latitude, longitude and address, a full-screen map, true and magnetic heading, magnetic strength, a slope level and sensor status. The listing warns against magnetic phone covers and suggests calibrating by moving the phone in a figure 8 two or three times when the direction is off.
Which one to choose
iPhone, start with Apple Compass. For hiking with coordinates and offline use, The Best Compass & GPS. Only a direction and nothing else, Compass for iPad and iPhone. Android, Digital Compass. For routes and trails, see hiking apps, and to find stars and planets, apps for the night sky.
| App | Platform | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Apple CompassApp Store | iPhone | latitude and longitude, elevation, lock a heading and see if you stay on course |
| The Best Compass & GPSApp Store | iPhone | 16 directions, MGRS, altitude, offline use, azimuth, flashlight, weather |
| Compass for iPad and iPhoneApp Store | iPhone, iPad | minimal view of the direction you face, ads removable by purchase |
| Digital CompassGoogle Play | Android | true and magnetic heading, address, full-screen map, slope level |
Frequently asked questions
Where is the compass on iPhone?
It is the Compass app from Apple. If it is missing, it can be installed free from the App Store.
Why does a phone compass show the wrong direction?
The Digital Compass listing names magnetic covers as a cause and suggests calibrating the phone by moving it in a figure 8 two or three times.
Which compass app is in Ukrainian?
On the App Store, Apple Compass, The Best Compass & GPS and Compass for iPad and iPhone list Ukrainian.